$β-(Al_{0.19} Ga_{0.81})_2 O_3/Ga_2 O_3$ Modulation-Doped Field-Effect Transistors with $>$ 6 kV Breakdown

Abstract

$β-(Al_{0.19} Ga_{0.81})_2 O_3/Ga_2 O_3$ modulation-doped field-effect transistors (MODFETs) incorporating a high-quality Al2O3 gate dielectric and SiNx passivation are demonstrated for high-voltage operation. The devices exhibited a maximum drain current of 54 mA/mm, an on-resistance of 149 Ohm.mm, a minimum subthreshold slope of 94 mV/dec, and an ION/IOFF ratio exceeding $10^8$. Three-terminal breakdown measurements performed in Flourinert demonstrated a breakdown voltage that increased with gate-drain spacing, reaching 6.6 kV for a device with LGD = 28 microns. The corresponding average lateral electric field approached 2.4 MV/cm, while a power figure of merit of 222 MW/cm2 was achieved. To the best of the authors knowledge, the demonstrated breakdown voltage represents the highest reported value for a $β-(Al_x Ga_{1-x})_2 O_3/Ga_2 O_3$ MODFET and highlights the potential of modulation-doped $β$-Ga2O3 heterostructures for next-generation multi-kV power devices.